Hold Me
by LittleKitten
Summary: In an alternate reality, Jack receives bad news about Charlie, but luckily for him some things haven't changed.


Hold Me  
By LittleKitten  
  
~ * ~  
  
  
"Welcome back, SG-1. I trust the mission was a success?" Hammond's voice spoke out through the microphone.  
  
"Yes, sir," O'Neill nodded. "It was excruciatingly boring," he added under his breath, wondering how on Earth - or any other planet for that matter - Sam and Daniel could be so happy about it. Carter hid a smile.  
  
"The traces of naquada in the soil turned out to be a lot more plentiful than we thought, sir."  
  
"Report to the infirmary. Debriefing at 1200 hours." Hammond said before turning around and heading back up the stairs.  
  
  
  
Thirty minutes later, Hammond made his way quickly to the infirmary. O'Neill deserved better than hearing the message from an airman.  
  
Hesitating in the doorway of the infirmary, he glanced around the room. Janet was taking a blood sample from Daniel, with Teal'c sitting on the bed on one side of him, and O'Neill and Carter sitting next to each other on the other one.  
  
He couldn't make out what Jack had said, but Dr Fraiser was glaring at Daniel for laughing too hard and Teal'c had a kind of small smile on his face to accompany his raised eyebrow; who knows, maybe he was finally coming to terms with Earth humour.   
  
Even with her back to the doorway, he could see that Carter was wearing a smile that lit up her face as she hit her commanding officer playfully, before gently leaning her head on his shoulder and returning her hand to its place on the bed, by his standards rather too close to - well, she was probably just tired after the mission.  
  
If there was one thing Hammond knew, it was that he could never split up this team; they worked so well together. And yet, that might have been what he was about to do.  
  
Just as he was about to move his foot to take another step into the infirmary, Teal'c looked up at him.  
  
"General Hammond." He acknowledged. O'Neill and Carter spun round quickly, looking almost guilty that he had seen them relaxing.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill, could I speak to you for a moment?"  
  
"Sure. Fire away." He showed no signs of moving from where he was sitting, obviously fine with his team knowing whatever he had to say.  
  
"I'm afraid I just received a phone call about your wife and son. They've been involved in an accident."  
  
O'Neill closed his eyes and brought his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Your son's critically injured-"  
  
"She's dead, isn't she," he cut in. "Sara."  
  
General Hammond lowered his head slightly, before looking Jack in the eye again.  
  
"I'm afraid so." He watched as O'Neill slowly stood up and walked out of the room, remembering the pain he had felt when his wife had died. Even though Jack and Sara had split up, it would still be hard to take. "The debriefing's postponed until further notice." Hammond spoke to the rest of the team, before he too made his way out of the room.  
  
  
  
Sam made her way quickly to O'Neill's quarters, raising her fist to knock on the door gently as she reached it. Realising that unless he was here, he had already left the base, she knocked quickly; surprised that the door was opened almost immediately.  
  
"Carter." He spoke quietly, his appearance dishevelled and his hair still wet from the shower.  
  
"Sir," she responded, not knowing what to say next.  
  
"Make it quick, will you, I've got to go." O'Neill snapped.  
  
"You-"  
  
"Sorry." He winced, before realising by the look on her face how harsh his previous statement had sounded.  
  
"You shouldn't drive, sir. You've just had some bad-"  
  
"I'll decide what-" he cut in again.  
  
"No, *Jack*," she raised her voice, using his actual name for the first time to shut him up. "I know how it feels. I know how I felt when dad came home and..." she trailed off, breathing in deeply and looking at the floor.  
  
"Carter, I didn't mean-" He placed a hand gently on her arm before she cut in again, looking up at him.  
  
"I know. But you have to think of Charlie. He needs you now."  
  
"Like you needed your dad," he added, finally managing to look her in the face again. Sam nodded, causing a tear to fall down her cheek.  
  
"Let me drive you there."  
  
"Thanks." He accepted quietly.  
  
Smiling gently in reply, Sam did something she never thought she would do.   
  
She hugged her commanding officer in the corridor.  
  
  
  
Cassandra stood up from the bench she had found overlooking the park to continue her journey home. It was a crisp autumnal morning, and she only half noticed her surroundings. Maybe should have had more than two hours' sleep last night.   
  
A browning leaf spiralled down in front of her face, and she half-heartedly batted it out of the way with her hand.  
  
Walking home from her best friends 13th birthday party was not her idea of fun. Her mom was supposed to have picked her up, but apparently there had been some emergency at the SGC, in the form of SG-5.  
  
The sound of her cell phone ringing broke Cassie from her reverie. The caller's number wasn't already stored on the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Cassie, it's me."  
  
"Sam!" she exclaimed, before registering Sam's tone of voice. "Hi."  
  
"Can you use a healing device?"  
  
"Yeah. I though you could?"  
  
"I don't have as much naquada in my blood. It makes it difficult to control devices easily, and for this..." she trailed off. "Is it okay if I pick you up in ten minutes?"  
  
"Yeah...sure." Cassie was confused. What did Sam want her to do?  
  
"Good, and bring an overnight bag. I've got to go now, see you." Cassie heard her put the phone down.  
  
"I've already got one. Bye, Sam," she replied sarcastically to the dialling tone.  
  
  
  
"We're going to have to stop soon, Sir," Carter said as she changed lanes. Getting no reply from the man sitting next to her, she continued. "We're almost out of gas. How's Cassie?"  
  
"Sleeping," the man in question finally responded.  
  
"That figures. She was at a sleepover last night."  
  
"Why did we need to bring her?"  
  
"She can control the healing device better than I can. And they're going to be less likely to suspect a thirteen-year-old girl of doing anything." Sam indicated and pulled into the gas station.  
  
"For Charlie?" O'Neill questioned as she opened the door.  
  
"Yeah." She nodded as she got out.  
  
  
  
"Carter."  
  
"Hmm?" She looked up from where she had been absently been pushing a packet of sugar around the table with her finger. He swallowed the last of his food and returned the fork to the plate, downing the rest of his coffee before replying.  
  
"Let me pay, as an apology for just about snapping your head off earlier."  
  
"It's okay, I'll-"  
  
"No, I was insensitive, and upset you. I'm sorry."  
  
"Apology accepted, Sir," she replied as he put the money down on the table and stood up to leave. She followed suit; picking up the food they had bought for Cassie, who was still asleep in the car.  
  
"It's only 40 minutes away now," he commented as they reached the place where she had parked. "And Carter?"  
  
"Yeah?" She turned to face him.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
  
  
Hesitating outside the door, O'Neill glanced at Carter, trying to hide the pain in his eyes with a smile.  
  
"I'll take Cassie to the coffee place, it was just round the corner, Sir..." She put her hand gently on his upper arm and squeezed it gently  
  
"Sure." He stood, motionless, as Cassie hugged him tightly before letting go. The door opened, and a younger doctor appeared.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill?"  
  
"The one and only." He quipped, the sadness in his voice only recognised by Sam.  
  
"You can come through now." The doctor held the door open with her hand, nodding for him to follow her into the room where his son was lying.  
  
"Come on, then." Carter placed an arm around the young girl's shoulders, pushing the strap of her rucksack further onto her shoulder before it slid right down her arm; the weight of the healing device in the bag comforting her.  
  
  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hi," Carter turned around to see the owner of the voice, offering a small smile as he pulled up a chair next to them. "Do you want anything?"  
  
"No, I'm fine." O'Neill replied, his head resting in the heels of his hands. She pushed her own still steaming cup of coffee towards him.  
  
"Take it," she ordered, and slowly he picked it up.  
  
"He's unconscious," he took a sip before continuing. "Internal damage more than anything. He's already been into theatre twice."  
  
"Is he in a room on his own?" She caught his eye.  
  
"Yeah." He looked at Cassie, who nodded.  
  
Standing, Sam passed Cassie the bag; her hand slip into the young girl's.  
  
As they continued their journey down the corridor, she unconsciously let her free hand move to rest on O'Neill's back.  
  
  
  
"Hey, it's dad again." Jack clasped Charlie's hand, wary of the lines and needles in it. "You have to trust me. Cassie's going to try and make you better."  
  
He glanced back at Carter, who finished closing the blinds and quietly turned the lock on the door; before nodding at him and returning to the opposite side of the bed, squeezing Cassie's shoulder as she closed her eyes to concentrate.  
  
The orange glow emanating from the device was mesmerising. Cassie screwed up her face slightly as she focused her mind on the task in hand.  
  
"Ah!"  
  
She snapped her eyes open, glancing worriedly at Charlie's face before continuing.  
  
"Charlie, it's okay," Jack rested his hand on his son's head, willing him to close his eyes and not remember anything. "Go back to sleep."   
  
"Colonel."  
  
Turning his head to question Carter, he saw what she was trying to draw his attention to. The device had stopped, and Cassandra had her head resting on the bed, exhausted.  
  
"Thank you," he whispered quietly, as he gently removed the device from her hand and let it fall back to its place beside her head.  
  
Returning it to the safety of the rucksack, he nodded at Carter. Slowly, she unlocked the door as he moved to open the blinds again.  
  
"Sir-" She moved towards the bed, but felt his hand grab her arm.  
  
"Leave her to sleep," he said, and she nodded slowly. "Listen, Carter..." He hesitated, moving his hand from her arm to squeeze her shoulder. "Thank you for coming with me." He pulled her into a hug.  
  
"S'okay," she replied, tentatively placing her arm on his back. "Do you want to grab a bite to eat?"  
  
"Sure." They pulled apart, and she smiled gently; putting the rucksack over one shoulder again.  
  
He glanced back for a few seconds at the two sleeping forms, before firmly pushing to door open and leaving the room.  
  
  
  
Cassie awoke with a start when she felt someone brush the hair out of her face.  
  
"Charlie! Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine..." He looked at her, displaying the same quizzical expression his father often used. "Who are you?"  
  
"Cassandra Frasier. I'm the daughter of one of your dad's friends." She bit her lip, glancing between him and the door.  
  
"Hey, Cassie - can I call you Cassie?" She nodded before he continued. "What did you do to me?"  
  
  
(TBC)  
  
Like it? Hate it? Think it's a really weird and crazy idea? Feel like nagging me to write more?  
Please tell me what you think! 


End file.
